Academics

College Counseling

Individualized, Purposeful, Personal

For our students, these three words sum up the GPS college counseling experience.



Selecting a college is a personal journey that involves the student, her college counselor, and her family. While her counselor can provide expert advice and insight into colleges that best meet her requirements and fit her profile, ultimately the decision lies with the student and her family.

By learning to evaluate her own strengths and craft her unique story, each student can discover colleges she might not have even considered at the beginning of the process. Online tools, such as SCOIR, help her keep an ongoing account of the application journey and college selection, one that is done in partnership with her counselor.

Because the college search is uniquely tailored to each girl, it is no wonder that GPS alumnae go on to graduate from the college where they started at a rate that’s nearly double the national average.

SCHOOL PROFILE

Helpful Links



List of 1 items.

  • + College Counseling Programming

    In addition to specific grade-level workshops and meetings, our college office hosts a number of events throughout the year, including a financial aid night, grade-level student and parent meetings, an athletic program led by our director of athletics, and a college deans panel open to all grade levels. Counselors also host quarterly College Conversations on campus to discuss admissions trends and answer any questions parents might have.

List of 1 items.

  • + College Visits

    Through intimate, on-campus evening college fairs and campus day visits, GPS students have the opportunity to visit with 100+ college representatives each year. GPS also co-hosts the annual Coast-to-Coast College Fair, which draws colleges from across the country and beyond. Additionally, the college counselors personally visit colleges throughout the year and host representatives on campus to meet with girls who express interest. Students are advised before interacting with college representatives on good questions to ask and to approach schools they may not have considered before.

List of 1 items.

  • + Interdepartmental Relationships

    The college counseling office works closely with the athletic department, class deans, advisors, and academic departments to thoughtfully advise and support students.

List of 1 items.

  • + The College Process

    Based on each student and family’s criteria, GPS college counselors encourage girls to consider appropriate and challenging college options over a broad geographic area. Although each student is responsible for taking control of her journey, she is assisted through all aspects of the application, scholarship, and financial aid process with the ultimate goal of finding a college that best meets her academic, social, and financial needs.

List of 1 items.

  • + Senior Year

    Seniors are encouraged to attend a summer workshop, where they will continue to hone their resumes, essays, and other important
    components of their college applications. Upon returning to campus in August, each senior meets individually and in seminars with her
    college counselor to discuss admission strategies, fine tune her application, edit essays, and to reflect on what she is seeking in her next step beyond GPS. At the end of the college counseling journey, we know each girl is prepared for what awaits her beyond GPS!

List of 1 items.

  • + Beyond GPS

    Active in their professional organizations and armed with a wealth of experience, the college counselors have held positions as president of the Southern Association for College Admissions Counseling and co-director of SACAC’s Summer Seminar, a program for new professionals. In addition, they have served on national committees and college advisory boards as well as presented at conferences across the nation.

College Counseling by Grade & Special Events

The road to college is a series of questions and answers, both for the counselors and for each girl as she seeks the college that will be the best fit. To help each girl develop her plan for finding her choice college, the College Counseling office has developed a multi-year process.

List of 4 items.

  • + Freshman Year

    During her freshman year, each girl is focused on making the transition to Upper School academically, socially, and emotionally. She is encouraged to explore her options, try new activities, get involved in both the school community and the community at large, and discover her interests. The goal is to get her off to a strong start in her first year of Upper School.

  • + Sophomore Year

    In sophomore year, students are assigned a college counselor with whom they will meet for the first time that spring. The girls are encouraged to reflect on their high school experiences thus far and on how they wish to approach the second half of their upper school experience. The college counselor will engage each girl in a personalized discussion about standardized testing plans and course selection.

  • + Junior Year

    Throughout the fall, each girl is encouraged to meet with college admission representatives who visit GPS and Chattanooga. From November through February, the college counseling office will meet individually with each girl and her family for a comprehensive discussion about her college search and upcoming application experience. In the winter and spring, the college counseling office provides a curriculum for students, a panel discussion with admission deans for parents and students, an admission case study program for students, and other constituent education programs.

  • + Senior Year

    Seniors are encouraged to attend a summer workshop, where they will continue to hone their resumes, essays, and other important
    components of their college applications. Upon returning to campus in August, each senior meets individually and in seminars with her
    college counselor to discuss admission strategies, fine tune her application, edit essays, and to reflect on what she is seeking in her next step beyond GPS. At the end of the college counseling journey, we know each girl is prepared for what awaits her beyond GPS!


Meet the College Counseling Staff



List of 3 items.

Where Oh Wheres

GPS Alumnae Have Attended

Girls Preparatory School

PHONE (423) 634-7600    HOURS M-F 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.